


Arthur and His Horses

by wiskeyfeathers



Category: Red Dead, Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Cute, Diary/Journal, Gen, High Honor Arthur Morgan, Horses, Hurt, Hurt Arthur Morgan, Inspired by Red Dead Redemption, Memories, Post-Video Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), Protective John Marston, Red Dead Redemption 2 Spoilers, Reflection, Sad, red dead redemption - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-31 23:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20248483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiskeyfeathers/pseuds/wiskeyfeathers
Summary: John takes a minute to look through an old friends journal, seeing just how important his horses were to him





	Arthur and His Horses

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short fic I thought up while playing rdr2 once. All the horses mentioned are ones I used during my own playthroughs, except Hosea's and Buell, of course.
> 
> I do not own Red Dead Redemption or any of that characters in it

John flicked through Arthur's old, tattered leather journal. The years the old outlaw had dedicated to writing and sketching was beyond John. He could hardly bring himself to read it, but knew he should. He had began to write his own stuff in it though. He felt like it was his one last connection to Arthur. John sighed and stopped on a page. It was full of amazing little sketches of horses. John quickly recognized them to be Arthur's horses.

John remembered how much of a bond Arthur has shared with each and every one of his horses. He had loved and cherished them more than anything, and losing them had been heart breaking for the gunslinger. John sighed again, as he could barely remember the names of most of his fallen horses. John studied the pages. There was more than a paragraph on each horse. John knew Arthur must have sat down reminisced about all of his horses, as this only got this journal after Balckwater.

John patted his own horse, Bowie, a golden Turkoman, and began to read.

The first horse Arthur wrote about was a bay thoroughbred Hosea had stolen for him. It was his first horse. He had names him Tommy, and they were inseparable. John smiled as he remembered the loyal mount. Tommy had survived many shootouts and run-ins with the law, but it was illness that got him in the end. Arthur and Hosea had rushed him to a stables, but no one knew what it was, and Tommy passed after that. Arthur was a mess for days. That really showed the camp just how much Arthur's horses meant to him.

John couldn't really remember the next horse Arthur wrote about. It was a grullo dun mustang called Charlie. From what Arthur wrote, the mare was stubborn and unpredictable, but he loved her. He guessed he had her around the time when Jack was born, but he didn't really know. Arthur didn't have Charlie for long, as he lost her during a battle with the O'Driscolls.

John could remember the next horse like the back of his hand. An amber champagne Missouri Foxtrotter that Arthur had won in a game of poker. He had names the horse Boah because he didn't want to get attached, as his initial plan was to sell him. Horses like that go for a lot of money, and Arthur had known the camp needed it. However, the two had built and incredible bond in just a few days. Dutch had completely understood, and didn't make Arthur sell Boah. From them on, the horse fought bravely, always got Arthur out of danger and was more loyal than a body part. Arthur would spend hours with Boah, giving him treats and gently brushing him. Boah was Arthur's horse for years. They were a team. No wonder it destroyed Arthur when Boah was shot down by a lone O'Dricoll while hitched outside a saloon Arthur, Dutch and John were drinking in. Arthur had gotten to thank the horse and pat him during his last few minutes. Dutch had to pry the younger man away from his dead horse, and help him on to the back of John's horse, Old Boy.

Reading this made John wish he was a better horse owner. He loved Old Boy but just didn't show it to him. He couldn't understand how to 'bond' with a horse back then, but learning from Arthur taught him a lot. These horses ran you through wars and always stayed loyal. John let out a sad breath and realised there was two more horses in the journal.

Boadicea was a horse Arthur only had for a short time. She was mean, fast and angry. She didn't let anyone on her except for Arthur. Thinking back, John didn't know how Arthur tolerated her. She didn't listen to her rider, and had thrown him more times than John could count. Still, Arthur cared for her greatly. Boadicea was lost during Blackwater, and Arthur didn't even have time to react to her being shot down from underneath him, before Charles had pulled him on top of Taima. He had no time to mourn over Boadicea, as that's when everything went downhill for the gang.

He had a paint horse for a few weeks called Thunder, before getting the next horse, and his last one, Duke. Duke was a chocolate roan Dutch warmblood. Duke was ridiculously loyal, obedient and brave. He was quiet and was quite attached to Old Boy, following him around camp like a dog. The two would happily graze together for hours. Duke carried Arthur through the worst time of his life. From the minute Duke walked in to the camp he protected Arthur. He went hunting with Arthur, and went on every mission that Dutch sent Arthur on. He helped Arthur escape the O'Driscolls and brought him back to camp when Arthur was on the brink of death, basically saving his life. Duke was there when the gang wasn't. He had protected him until the end, when some Pinkertons had shot Duke and Old Boy. Arthur cried while the horse slowly slipped away, and then went on to die himself. At least he's reunited with those horses now.

John closed the journal and thought of his own horses. He had always just seen them as transport and storage, but Arthur had shown them they were more. They had personalities and feelings and each one was different. John patted Bowie again and gave him a sugar cube. This horse was only young and still learning. He was brave and loved to go fast, but couldn't be separated from John's cattle horse, Captain Monroe. Cap was an paint horse who was incredibly smart with the cows on the ranch. Bowie and Cap got on really well, and when John brought one out, the other had to be there too.john let out a laugh as Cap looked up from the grass, as of he knew John was thinking about him. He was named after some army general Arthur had written about. It had sounded like Arthur had great respect for the man, so John named his horse after Arthur's friend.

John found out Arthur had made loads of new friends from reading his journal. There was Hamish, an army veteran, who Arthur had gone fishing and hunting with. John and decided to give him a visit, and had gone after a huge boar with the old man. Everything went bad, and Hamish passed, his dying wish was for John to look after his horse. Buell was a cremello gold Dutch warmblood. He was magnificently beautiful and he knew it. He was stubborn and never listened to John, but he still loved the horse, as he felt looking after him was important to both Hamish and Arthur. Buell was out in the paddock grazing next to John's final horse, Dollar.

Dollar was something special. He was Hosea's old horse, a silver Turkoman. John didnt know the horse was still alive, but had managed to track him down when he had heard people talking about a incredible silver horse in Tumbleweed. John couldn't believe it when he saw Hosea's horse, jumping with joy inside the stable when he recognised John, 8 years later. John treasured Dollar, his last link to Hosea.

John smiled again. Arthur had taught him many things, but loving and respecting your horse, was his favourite thing.


End file.
